Closure



G. AUKLAND Nov. 21, 1939.

CLO SURE Filed May 29, 1959 Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LSURE 'Gabriel uklnd, Shabbona, Ill. Application 'lV-Iay :29, 1?'939, Serial No. 276,282

This invention relates to closures and has special reference to closures for tubes, lbirttles and other containers of th'e typ'e commonly closed by screw caps. In the use of container of the type mentioned, much diiculty is experiencedgin loss and misplacement of the cap's. "I'hese devices are further objectionable because of the dimcul'ty and inconvenience of handling a 4small ap andreplacing the same on the countaine'r. This i's very common with tooth paste t'bes, o'r example; and it will be found that in the majority of cases, the cap of the tube is lost or thrown 'away lo'g prior to complete consumptio'n of the tiontents. The same frequentry hap'pe'nswith 'mouth washes and other toilet articles. The 'result is that the contents of the container are left exposed to the air with damage to the contents. An equally important objection is the loss of time and the nervous irritation occasioned by frequent dropping of the cap and the resultant :search therefor.

An important object of the invention is the provision of novel means for retaining the closure of a container in a closed position on the container or in a retracted position in which it is completely out of the way of the user, and which 'is capable of convenient and rapid movement from one position to the other, and to provide a simple, inexpensive device which may be applied to the container by the user, if desired.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a tube container embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the closure moved to the retracted or'open position;

Fig. 4 is an end view of a modified form of tube closure;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section through the end of a tube showing the manner in which the retaining ears may be formed directly in the tube;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the neck of a bottle showing the closure of my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the neck of a bottle showing the closure in retracted or open position;

Fig. 9 is a top view of the closure sleeve, and Fig. 10 is a section on the line Ill-I0 of Fig. 6.

The invention contemplates the provision of a closure having a closure -member proper` or cap,

a sleeve fitting around the cap and with respect to which the cap is rotatable for screwing the Acap onto the container if desired, and a rubber band seated in the sleeve and looped around ears carried on the container in a plane spaced from the sleeve so that the cap may be lifted and moved to a point at the side of the container by stretching the bands, at which point the band :will hold the cap against the side of the .container ingo out of the way position.

Th invention as embodied in a closure for 'metltubes is shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, one species thereof being shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and a second species in Figs. 4 and 5. Directing attention rst to Figures 1 to 3, the numeral I2 designates a metal tube of the conventional dispensing type usually formedl of 'soft metal and adapted to be collapsed for the purpose of dispensing the contents. The tube has the usual shoulder I3 and externally threaded neck I4. According to this embodiment of the invention, the closure includes a base member I5 of conical configuration, the sides having substantially the same slope as the shoulder I3. The base member has an opening I6 at the apex thereof of such size as to receive the neck I4 by engagement oi' the edge of the base member with the threads. In other words, the base member is applied to the tube by inserting the end of the neck in the opening and rotating the base member to screw it downward until it comes into contact with the shoulder I3, the lower threads of the neck holding the base member in position. Preferably the base member has a short cylindrical flange as shown at II adapted to fit down a short distance over the side walls of the tube. Ears I8 and I9 are formed on the cylindrical portion I'I at diametricallyopposed sides of the base member, each of the ears having a central portion 2| and laterally disposed fingers 22 and 23 to retain a rubber band thereon, as will presently be described.

A cap 24, in this instance shown as formed of molded plastic such as Bakelite seats over vthe neck I4, the cap having an internal bore for the reception of the neck. This bore may have either smooth side walls and be of a diameter slightly greater than the overall diameter of the neck I4 so that the cap merely seats over the neck, or the bore may have internal threads complementary to the threads on the neck I4 so as to be screwed tightly thereon in the usual fashion, but preferably the bore has a smooth portion 25 toward its outer end for the free reception of the 119615 and a threaded portion 26 toward its inner end for threaded reception of the neck so that in certain instances the cap may be seated over the neck without rotation of the cap, or the cap may be given a part of a turn so as to draw it tightly against the upper end of the bore. The

' inner end of the bore preferably has a sealing disk 21 of the usual character. The lower end of the cap has a shoulder 28 on its outer surface against which a sleeve 29 bears in such manner that the cap may be rotated with respect to the sleeve.

The form of the sleeve 29 will best be seen from Fig. 4, and consists of the central cylindrical portion 3| slightly greater in diameter than the outside diameter of that portion of the cap above the shoulder 28, this portion serving to guide the sleeve on the cap. The sleeve has a bottom portion 32 which seats against the shoulder 28 and projects outwardly beyond the shoulder in spaced lips 33 and 34. these lips being bent down somewhat as best shown in Figs. l and 3. The cap also has upwardly disposed rims 35 and 36, the ends of which terminate on the lips 33 and 34 and which serve to form channels on the sleeve for the reception of a rubber band 31. The rubber band is looped around the sleeve as shown in Fig. 4 and around the central portion 2| of the ears I8 and I9, the band being crossed adjacent the ears as shown at 38 and 39 for the purpose of preventing the band from slipping off from the ears.

In operation, the closure is placed on the tube in the manner shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4 with the cap 24 drawn down tightly against the neck. In y use the cap 24 is rotated sumciently to disengage the threads of the cap and neck, whereupon the cap canvbe lifted or moved longitudinally with respect to the tube until the base of the cap clears the neck, and then swung outward to the position shown in Fig. 3, the rubberband stretching to permit of this movement. In the position shownin Fig. 3, the band acts to hold the cap tightly against the side of the tube in a definite and fixed position for use on the tube. When the desired amount of material has been expressed through the neck I4, the cap is again replaced by merely lifting the cap and releasing it over the neck I4. 'I'he rubber band then draws the cap down over the neck sufilciently to eil'ectively close the tube. However, if it is desired to close the tube tightly the cap can be rotated through a part of a turn, causing the threads 28 of the bore to engage the neck as heretofore described.

The device may be made and sold either as an attachment for collapsible tubes, or may be placed thereon by the manufacturer.

Where the closure of this invention is applied to a tube by the manufacturer, the base member I5 may satisfactorily be eliminated and the ears I8 and I9 placed directly onto the tube proper, the ears being molded or otherwise formed integral with the side walls, as shown in Fig. 5, the numerals 4I and 42 designating such integral ears.

With but slight modication, the same principle is applied to bottles and similar containers having either smooth necks or externally threaded necks as shown in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive. The numeral 43 designates the neck of a bottle or similar container having in this instance external threads 44 molded therein. A conventional form oi' cap 45 is positioned on the neck, the cap in this instance being the conventional type of formed sheet metal cap having the central portion 46 rounded with a gasket 41 and an annular flange 48 terminating in a rolled edge 4 9, the

flange portion having threads 5I formed therein in the usual way. A sleeve 52 identical in every material respect with the sleeve 29 and having like parts, is seated over the cap 45 and bears against the rolled edge 49, the sleeve carrying a rubber band 53 comparable tothe band 31. A metal band designated generally by the numeral 54 encircles the neck of the bottle, the upper edge thereof bearing against a bead 55 where such bead is present, or against the lower end of the threads 44, one end of the metal band having a slot- 58 and the other end thereof having a tab 51 receivable in the slot 56, the tube extending through the slot and being bent back upon itself, as best shown in Fig. 10, for the purpose of retaining the metal band on the bottle. This band carries ears 58 and 59 analogous to the ears I8 and I9, each having a central portion 6I and laterally disposed fingers 82 and 83 for the purpose of retaining the rubber band in place on the ears. The closure in this instance functions in a fashion substantially identical to that already described.

It will be seen that with my improved construction the closure is positively retained in both its closed and its open position, and that in the open position the cap is held against one side of the container in a fixed position so that it cannot move about during the manipulation of the tube or bottle to interfere with the operation of discharging the contents. It will further be seen that the device is cheap to manufacture, it is inexpensive, and maybe applied to any container without the necessity of the container being especially designed for the purpose of receiving the closure.

It will be understood that while I have herein shown specific lembodiments of the invention which will be understood by way of illustration, I do not wish to be limited except as required by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims, in which I claim:

l. Thecombination in a closure for containers having a neck, of a cap shaped to seat over said neck, said cap having an annular iiange, a sleeve around said cap seated against the flange for rotation of the cap with respect thereto, ears at diametrically opposed points on the sides of the container spaced longitudinally of the container from said sleeve, and a rubber band seated on said sleeve and around said ears to draw the cap selectively against either the neck or the side of the container.

2. 'I'he combination in a closure for containers having external screw threads, of a cap shaped to seat over the threads having an annular flange, a metal sleeve around said cap seated against the flange for manual rotation of the cap with respect thereto to screw the cap onto or off the neck, ears supported at diametrically opposed points on the sides of the container and spaced longitudinally oi the container from said sleeve, and a rubber band seated on said sleeve and around said ears to draw the cap against either the side or the end of the container.

3. 'I'he combination in a closure for containers having a threaded neck, of a cap shaped to seat over said neck, said cap having an annular flange, a sleeve around said cap seated against said flange for manual rotation of the cap with respect thereto to screw the cap onto or off the neck, a. base member secured to said container below said neck, said base member having opposed ears, and a rubber band seated on said sleeve and around said ears to draw the cap selectively against either the neck or the side of the container.

4. The combination in a closure for collapsible tube containers having a threaded neck, of a cap shaped to seat over said neck, said cap having an annular ange, a sleeve around said cap seated against said flange for manual rotation of the cap with respect thereto to screw the cap onto or off the neck, a base member threaded onto said neck and seated against the tube, said member having spaced ears, and a rubber band seated on said sleeve and around said ears to hold the sleeve on the cap and to draw the cap selectively against the neck or the side of the container.

5. 'I'he combination in a closure for bottles and the like having a threaded neck, of a cap shaped to seat over the neck, said cap having an annular flange, a sleeve around said 'cap seated against said flange for manual rotation o-f the cap with respect thereto to screw the cap onto or oi the neck, a band positioned around said neck below the cap, the band having spaced ears, and a rubber band seated on said sleeve and around said ears to hold the sleeve on the cap and to draw the cap selectively against the neck o-r the side o the bottle.

6. The combination recited in claim l, wherein said sleeve has upwardly extending side walls and outwardly and downwardly depending lips above said ears for guiding said rubber band.

GABRIEL AUKLAND. 

